nic's recent activity
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Comment on US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to vote yes on GOP spending bill in ~society
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Comment on US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to vote yes on GOP spending bill in ~society
nic LinkI hate to say it, but I'm with Schumer on this. There is a very real risk that Trump drives USA into a deep recession. Republicans are desperate to blame this on the Democrats, and this would give...I hate to say it, but I'm with Schumer on this.
There is a very real risk that Trump drives USA into a deep recession. Republicans are desperate to blame this on the Democrats, and this would give them plausible blame-ability.
I don't like Schumer. He has no apparent strategy. He has no voice. He is too afraid to make waves. But you don't interrupt your enemy when they are making a blunder of epic proportions. You do call them out on it though.
Obama stood up during Bush's presidency, and called the Iraq war "stupid." He not only was right that Bush would start a second war, he was right that people would eventually realize it was stupid.
I've been waiting for someone to standup and say, look, I'm not against tariffs. I am not against improving government efficiency. I'm not against peace. I'm just against stupid tariffs and chainsaw government cuts and picking fights with our allies. Because the pain will be real. Real jobs lost. Real lives impacted.
Pain is only gain if it's the right kind. Stupid pain is not the right kind of pain. No brain, no gain.
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Comment on US tariff war risks sinking world into new Great Depression, International Chamber of Commerce warns in ~finance
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Comment on US tariff war risks sinking world into new Great Depression, International Chamber of Commerce warns in ~finance
nic Link@mycketforvirrad, I meant this to go into ~finance, should I just delete and repost?@mycketforvirrad, I meant this to go into ~finance, should I just delete and repost?
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Comment on US tariff war risks sinking world into new Great Depression, International Chamber of Commerce warns in ~finance
nic Linkhttps://archive.is/ORDiU While predicting a recession is a fools game, we have never seen a US president so hell bent on causing a recession. So far we have seen tariffs (which worsened the great...While predicting a recession is a fools game, we have never seen a US president so hell bent on causing a recession.
So far we have seen tariffs (which worsened the great depression), trade wars, decimation of federal workforce, federal spending freezes...
Is this just about funding tax cuts? Do Musk and Trump really believe in their own hype? Are they Russian agents? Or will they reverse course when they realize how incredibly stupid this all is?
While I am hoping for the best, I am planning for the worst.
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US tariff war risks sinking world into new Great Depression, International Chamber of Commerce warns
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Comment on Students and their ChatGPT in ~tech
nic Link@dlay you should praise your teacher for finding assignments that ChatGPT can't answer. I tried feeding in a picture of what the teacher was looking for, and ChatGPT still struggled to create...@dlay you should praise your teacher for finding assignments that ChatGPT can't answer. I tried feeding in a picture of what the teacher was looking for, and ChatGPT still struggled to create anything coherent.
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Comment on What do you drink with Mac and Cheese? in ~food
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Comment on What is a book that every 13-year-old boy should read? in ~books
nic LinkDoes this 13 year old boy love to read? 13 today is different from 13 when we all grew up. Most 13 year olds have smart phones, laptops to play games on, gamestations, TV's with wildly...Does this 13 year old boy love to read?
13 today is different from 13 when we all grew up.
Most 13 year olds have smart phones, laptops to play games on, gamestations, TV's with wildly inappropriate streaming shows...
I only know of one 13 year old in my extended kids class who loves to read, and her mother is a librarian.
So I am going to suggest books that are lovely for adults or for children. Even for children who have a lot of competing interests. Even for those of us with a much short attention span than we used to have.
Why? by Nikolai Popov. This is a book of paintings, and only one word in the title. Why? It is haunting, as it shows the devastating toll of war.
The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein. This book is a rudimentary stick picture book, and it tells you everything a young teen you ought to know about relationships. Through the analogy of a big giant circle with a bit of it missing. And because it has a piece missing, and because that makes it sad, it looks for someone to help it fill that void of that missing piece, and on the journey looking for the perfect piece that will compliment it and make it's life perfect, it learns a lot of valuable lessons about relationships.
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Comment on Who are your favorite actors? in ~movies
nic LinkChristian Bale - A brilliant actor with a knack for picking brilliant movies.Christian Bale - A brilliant actor with a knack for picking brilliant movies.
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Comment on US Department of Housing and Urban Development workers greeted by AI video of Donald Trump licking 'Real King' Elon Musk's (two left) feet in ~society
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 24 in ~society
nic LinkEconomist Warns That Elon Musk Is About to Cause a "Deep, Deep Recession ... but we knew this anyway -
Comment on US Department of Housing and Urban Development workers greeted by AI video of Donald Trump licking 'Real King' Elon Musk's (two left) feet in ~society
nic LinkIs there a way I can watch the entire original video? You know... For science!Is there a way I can watch the entire original video? You know... For science!
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Comment on I don't take the threat of US annexing Canada seriously in ~society
nic LinkWhat would happen if no one took Trumps suggestion to ingest bleach seriously during COVID? The more powerful a person is, the more powerful their words are. Left unchallenged, Republicans would...What would happen if no one took Trumps suggestion to ingest bleach seriously during COVID?
The more powerful a person is, the more powerful their words are.
Left unchallenged, Republicans would quickly find themselves aligning towards Russia/ North Korea, and against all western democracies. It is still happening, but significantly slower because there are people standing up and saying that Trump is wrong. This is an incredibly slipper slope. For all it's flaws, USA used to prioritize capitalistic/democratic principals.
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Comment on It is no longer safe to move our governments and societies to US clouds in ~society
nic LinkTech stock prices are in a AI bubble. It doesn't take much for a hype bubble to burst When the tech bubble bursts, it won't just effect tech companies- Tech stock prices are in a AI bubble.
- It doesn't take much for a hype bubble to burst
- When the tech bubble bursts, it won't just effect tech companies
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Comment on Movie recommendations? in ~movies
nic Link ParentThen I gotta be the "I loved Gravity" guy today.... because while you are entitled to your opinion, you are wrong! On the internet! I can not let that stand! I saw it on my 2D 60 inch TV with...Then I gotta be the "I loved Gravity" guy today.... because while you are entitled to your opinion, you are wrong! On the internet! I can not let that stand!
I saw it on my 2D 60 inch TV with sound system at home.
Some movies provoke profound thought. Some movies have incredibly deep characters. Some movies have a plot so cunning, that you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel. Some movies simply grab you by the eye balls and refuse to let go. This is that last sort of movie.
This movie had me on the edge of my seat.
Maybe it's because I used to sky dive. I've sat on the edge of a perfect good plane. I've looked down thousands of feet... and I've jumped. And I have seen more fuckups in my very short career than most. I know what happens when shit goes sideways. No matter how much training you have had, when faced with potential death, your brain is not operating at 100%.
Come on, Bullocks character had a PHD in biology, this was her first space flight, what do you expect? This isn't The Martian, where her characters brilliance in the sciences helps her overcome adversity.
Sure, the movie doesn't have much more going for it than a visual thrill ride. Which is why I am surprised you would watch it a second time. Dude. This movie is not going to get better the more you watch it. And why on earth would you only watch it the way it's supposed to be watched the second time?
(I do love your comment by the way, I hope you take this as tongue in cheek, if I watched this shallow movie a second time I am sure I would feel as frustrated as you)
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Comment on Movie recommendations? in ~movies
nic Link ParentSemantically it's similar to Matrix - it's a sci fi with amazing "gravity defying" special effects. I do find myself using LLMs to augment my failing memory, I'm not saying anyone here simply...Semantically it's similar to Matrix - it's a sci fi with amazing "gravity defying" special effects.
I do find myself using LLMs to augment my failing memory, I'm not saying anyone here simply copied and pasted from an LLM, but I do suspect a lot of us use LLMs to assist us.
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Comment on Movie recommendations? in ~movies
nic (edited )LinkTotal Recall(1990) - a mind bending sci fi thriller where reality isn't what it seems... or is it? The story is fantastic, you just have to forgive the campy 90s special effects. It's loosely...Total Recall(1990) - a mind bending sci fi thriller where reality isn't what it seems... or is it? The story is fantastic, you just have to forgive the campy 90s special effects. It's loosely based on a Phillip K Dick story, the same author who inspired Minority Report & Blade Runner.
Blade Runner (1982) - for gods sake, see the original first. The filmography is unbelievable, and the special effects still holds up today. The story is fantastic, and you will leave wondering what it means to be human, which is such a pertinent question in todays age.
A Clockwork Orange (1971) - another classic mind bending sci fi that can still go toe to toe with anything produced today. This is one more philosophical and though provoking, and darker, with a bit of the old ultra violence. When Anthony Burgess wrote the original book, he first wrote it in the common vernacular of the day, then rewrote and replaced that with made up futuristic slang. When Stanley Kubrik directed the movie, he fabricated wildly futuristic furniture also from scratch. The result is unlike anything you have ever seen or heard.
Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - classic 80's sci fi where time traveling robots make you question reality (the special effects in the first are dated, but it's good to watch them in sequence, as they build on each other.)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) - not sci fi, but it blends gravity-defying fight scenes with a smidge of philosophy, similar to the first (and only) Matrix.
Predestination (2014) - a lesser known Australian sci fi, featuring time manipulation and mind-boggling plot twists.
Brazil (1985) - a bizarre dystopian universe, it's like 1984 met Monty Python, which makes sense, as this is from the mind of Terry Gilliam.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1988) - a bizarre drug fueled hallucination, again by Terry Gilliam, based on the drug fueled hallucination of a book written by Hunter S. Thompson.
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Comment on 'Ne Zha 2' is highest-grossing animated movie worldwide, tops $1.7B in ~movies
nic Link ParentThank you!Personally I say give it a pass and see the second one, the second one rehashes enough from the first that we followed it and loved it, without having seen the first one at the time
Thank you!
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Comment on 27% of Canadians view USA as an 'enemy' in ~society
nic Link ParentOh man, if you asked most western democracies if they thought America was a dumpster fire, that is a very different question on if America is now the enemy.Oh man, if you asked most western democracies if they thought America was a dumpster fire, that is a very different question on if America is now the enemy.
I don't disagree with anything you said.
The least Schumer could have done would be to appear strong where he is weak and spineless.
From the get go Schumer should have been attacking the stupidity "Trump is wrecking this countries economy with a chainsaw, we aren't going to help him by shutting down the government. This budget is stupid, we don't support this stupidity, but we aren't going to add to the stupidity with a government shutdown."
I don't know enough about US politics to know what the politically astute move was. You could be right. Maybe the right thing to do would be to wait to see if a shutdown would happen before folding.
I do know the Democrats were in an impossible situation. Republicans love shut downs. It gives them everything they want. Schumer is playing cards and he has a terrible hand, and he is gormless.